Jumping game-piece racing game



Sept. 14, 1965 f/M/AM Z 347:5

United States Patent 3,205,208 JUMPING GAME-PIECE RACING GAME William C. Bates, 147 E. 82nd St, New York, N.Y. Fiied Sept. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 226,063 6 Ciaims. (Cl. 273-86) This invention relates to amusement devices. More particularly, the invention relates to racing games employing one or more self-propelled racing pieces.

In the development of amusement devices it has long been desirable to provide self-propelled objects of a size small enough to allow them to be used in racing games. Although a number of different types of small mechanical racers have been developed for this purpose, most of these have been designed to move in a predictable manner; that is, to move in one direction along a track. Certain other types of devices and certain small animals which move in randomly-directed jumps also would seem to be desirable for use as racers, but their use has been limited by the fact that existing game-sized race courses have not provided adequate means for guiding their random jump towards a goal.

An example of the small animals which move in randomly-directed jumps is the larva which inhabits the Mexican jumping bean. This larva infests the seed of certain plants commonly found in Mexico. The larva moves within the seed pod in jerky, jumping movements which cause the pod to perform erratically-directed jumps at varying intervals of time. In order to race these jumping beans against one another it is desirable to provide a game board directing their jumps toward a goal.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a racing game in which objects making randomly-directed jumps can be used eflectively as racers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a racing game in which Mexican jumping beans can be used effectively as racers.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a racing game which is easily constructed of relatively inexpensive materials while being sturdy and relatively free from malfunction.

Other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be pointed out in, or apparent from, the following description and drawings, of which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded isometric View of an embodiment of the racing game of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1, with the racing game shown in FIGURE 1 reassembled.

FIGURE 3 is a drawing of one embodiment of a racing piece of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the racing game 16 includes a funnel-shaped race course 12 fitted into a cylindrical ring 14 whose upper portion 16 extends above the surface of the board 12. A series of compartments or stalls 18 is located around the outer circumference of the board 12. Each of the stalls 18 comprises a pair of side walls 20 and 22 whose rear edges abut against the upper portion 16 of cylindrical ring 14. Walls 29 and 22 are aligned substantially parallel to one another and extend towards the center of the board 12. Three legs 24, 26 and 23 are attached to ring 14 to support the racing game 16 above a surface upon which it is to be placed.

Racing board 12 has a hole 30 located at its center. A series of bands 32, 34, 36 and 38 are located concentrically with hole 30 and are spaced at varying intervals from the hole.

In playing the game, Mexican jumping beans 40 are placed in the stalls 18. The leaps of each jumping bean will be guided towards the central hole 30, which is used as a goal, by the slope in the sides of racing board 12.

3,206,208 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 In order to restrain the jumping beans and keep them from moving from their stalls before it is desired to start play of the game, a starting gate 42 is provided. Starting gate 42 comprises a cylindrical ring 44, a pair of top supporting cross members 46 and 48, and a handle 50 which is located approximately in the center of ring 44. Starting gate 42 covers the front exit of all of the stalls when it is lowered into position and therefore provides a means for starting all of the jumping beans 40 at the same time.

The ring 14 may be extended downwardly to provide its own support instead of using legs 24, 26 and 28, but the use of these legs is preferred since it allows the players to reach under the game board and retrieve their beans at the end of a race. Similiarly, the upper surface of racing game 42 may be made solid, but is preferably made in the shape shown to provide a better view of the race course for the players prior to a race.

Rules for playing the game may be set up by the players as desired. For example, the winner may be declared to be the first jumping bean to pass through the central hole 30, with the remaining beans being placed in accordance with their distance from the hole at the time the first bean passes through the hole. Alternatively, the jumping beans may he raced singly to determine which reaches the goal in the shortest length of time. If desired, appropriately marked disqualification areas 52 may be provided between the stalls 18. A bean falling into such an area would be automatically disqualified.

FIGURE 3 shOWS a jumping bean racing piece 54 which comprises a jumping bean 56 glued at its largest end to a flat circular supporting piece of celluloid 58 with the central ridge 60 of the jumping bean aligned vertically. Racing piece 54 is especially desirable for use in the racing game of this invention because its jumps are less random in nature than those of an unadorned jumping bean and are more readily controlled by the sloping surface 12 of the game. In addition, the circular support 58 adds color, animation, and attractiveness to the jumping bean 56, and adds considerably to the pleasure gained from racing the beans against one another.

All the components of the racing game 10 and the support 58 of racing piece 54 may be readily constructed of plastic, paper board, sheet metal, or similar inexpensive materials. The components are preferably made of plastic since this material may be readily molded.

The above description of the invention is intended to be illustrative and not limitative. Various changes and modifications in the embodiment described may occur to those skilled in the art and these can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A racing game device comprising a game piece, means forming a part of said game piece for propelling said game piece upwardly from a supporting surface in a randomly-directed manner, a funnel-shaped game board, means for supporting said game board with the small opening of said funnel positioned below the large opening of said funnel, said game board including a starting platform for said game piece, said starting platform being positioned adjacent said large opening of said funnel-shaped game board and a goal adjacent the edge of said small opening of said funnel, said surface of said board being inclined with respect to horizontal and serving to guide said game piece toward said small opening as said piece is propelling itself upwardly in said random manner.

2. A racing game device as in claim 1 including a compartment for holding said game piece at said starting platform, said compartment comprising a pair of side walls, a rear wall and a front wall which is removable to allow said piece to proceed down said inclined urface at a predetermined instant of time.

3. A racing game comprising a cylindrical ring, a racing board shaped to form a frustrum of a cone and mounted in said ring with its outer edge afiixed to the in terior surface of said ring and its smaller opening positioned below its larger opening, a portion of said ring extending above said board to form a retaining wall around the circumference of said larger opening, a plurality of supporting legs affixed to and extending downwardly from said ring, a plurality of stalls positioned around the circumference of said larger opening, each of said stalls having a pair of side wall whose rear edges abut against said retaining wall of said ring with the front edges of said walls extending toward said smaller opening in said board, a plurality of Mexican jumping beans located in said stalls for use as racing pieces, and a second cylindrical ring positionable to block the front exit of all of said stalls when placed with its outer surface adjacent said exits.

4. An amusement device comprising the combination of a jumping game piece, means forming a part of said jumping game piece for propelling said game piece upwardly against the force of gravity from a supporting surface in a randomly-directed manner, a game board for guiding the randomly-directed jumps of said game piece towards a goal to be crossed by said game piece, said garne board comprising a playing surface member having a pair of opposed edges with a starting surface portion adjacent one of said edges and a goal surface portion adjacent the other of said edges, and means for supporting said playing surface member upwardly from a horizontal base surface with said playing surface member inclined with respect to said horizontal surface, and with said starting surface portion elevated above said goal surface portion.

5. An amusement device as in claim 4 in which said support means supports said goal surface portion above said horizontal base surface, and including at least one compartment for holding said game piece on said starting surface portion of said playing surface member said compartment comprising a pair of side walls, a rear wall and a front wall which is removable to allow said game piece to proceed down said inclined surface at a predetermined instant of time.

6. A device as in claim 4 in which said jumping game piece is a Mexican jumping bean, and including-a support member secured to said bean, said support member having a flattened surface for supporting said bean on a flat base surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,661 11/ 10 Hamilton.

1,370,479 3/21 Pester et al 27386.3 X 1,383,316 7/21 Liebert.

1,614,471 1/27 Hayashi 273 -128 X 1,738,265 12/29 Scanlan 273-123 2,012,673 8/35 Urbach 273-138 2,134,079 10/38 Fentress 46-151 2,655,380 10/53 Engle 273-123 2,905,472 9/59 Kinney 27386.3 2,998,131 8/61 Irvin 273134 FOREIGN PATENTS 637,904 10/36 Germany.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiners. 

1. A RACING GAME DEVICE COMPRISING A GAME PIECE, MEANS FORMING A PART OF SAID GAME PIECE FOR PROPELLING SAID GAME PIECE UPWARDLY FROM A SUPPORTING SURFACE IN A RANDOMLY-DIRECTED MANNER, A FUNNEL-SHAPED GAME BOARD, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID GAME BOARD WITH THE SMALL OPENING OF SAID FUNNEL POSITIONED BELOW THE LARGE OPENING OF SAID FUNNEL, SAID GAME BOARD INCLUDING A STARTING PLATFORM FOR SAID GAME PIECE, SAID STARTING PLATFORM BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID LARGE OPENING OF SAID FUNNEL-SHAPED GAME BOARD AND A GOAL ADJACENT THE EDGE OF SAID SMALL OPENING OF SAID FUNNEL, SAID SURFACE OF SAID BOARD BEING INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO HORIZONTAL AND SERVING TO GUIDE SAID GAME PIECE TOWARD SAID SMALL OPENING AS SAID PIECE IS PROPELLING ITSELF UPWARDLY IN SAID RANDOM MANNER. 